Abortion in the Czech Republic is legally allowed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, with medical indications up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, in case of serious problems with the fetus at any time. Those performed for medical indications are covered by statutory health insurance, but otherwise abortion is relatively affordable in the Czech Republic. In Czech, induced abortion is called interrupce or umělé přerušení těhotenství, often colloquially potrat (“miscarriage”). Vacuum aspiration is the recommended surgical abortion technique for pregnancies up to 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. The procedure should not be systematically supplemented by dilation and acute curettage (D&C). Safe Abortion Guidelines, Executive Summary, Box 1 – Recommendation. According to the recent statement from the Ministry of Health, Polish women and EU citizens can legally have an abortion in the Czech Republic, vráblová says, even if they only come to the procedure and spend only a few days here. § 159 Unauthorized abortion without the consent of a pregnant woman According to the European Atlas of Abortion Policies, 2021, the legal framework for access to abortion in European countries varies considerably. Technically, abortion remains a crime in 14 of Europe`s 52 countries. Contraception during the abortion process – Missing data According to Nowaczyk, the cost of the procedure in the Czech Republic varies greatly depending on the clinic, the stage of pregnancy and the type of abortion desired by the woman, but the average price is about 170 euros. The combination of mifepristone and misoprostol for medical abortion is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. Guidelines on Safe Abortion, § 2.2.5 Since 1993, abortions for non-medical reasons are no longer covered by the public health system. The absolute peak in the number of abortions was reached in 1990 with more than 100,000 per year, but has been steadily decreasing since then, reaching less than 1/3 of the peak in 2004.
The reasons for this decline were the greater availability of contraceptives and better sex education. Except in certain circumstances, a woman cannot have an abortion if she has had one in the past six months. If an abortion has been performed on a woman between the ages of 16 and 18, the health institution is obliged to inform its legal representative. Sixteen people, including Nowaczyk, and about 70 volunteers are joining forces around a newly formed collective called Ciocia Czesia (Aunt Czech Republic) that aims to help Polish women in various ways – by sharing necessary information, organizing transportation and housing, and providing financial and emotional support – to exercise their right to abortion, which is at risk of being taken away from them. The abortion pill has been legal in the Czech Republic since 2014. For many women, this is a less invasive method of inducing miscarriage, although registration of the pill has been rejected by anti-choice groups. Abortion is not covered by health insurance unless the mother`s life is in danger. Women up to the age of 18 must obtain signed permission from a guardian. Standards and guidelines should be developed and updated to remove barriers to achieving the highest possible standard of sexual and reproductive health.
Guidelines for Safe Abortion, § 3.3. Standards and guidelines should cover: the types of abortion services, where and by whom they can be provided; the facility`s essential equipment, instruments, medications, supplies and capabilities; referral mechanisms; Respect for women`s informed decision-making, autonomy, confidentiality and privacy. Safe Abortion Guidelines, p. 63. Nowaczyk learned during Ciocia Czesia`s first year that many Czech hospitals and clinics still refuse to perform abortions for Polish women. The following descriptions and recommendations are taken from the WHO guidelines on safe abortion. Many women have opted for abortion before seeking care, and this decision should be respected without subjecting a woman to mandatory counselling. Counselling for women who so wishes should be voluntary, confidential, non-directive and by a trained person. Guidelines for safe abortion, § 2.1.8.1. Abortion on demand has been illegal in Poland since the mid-1990s.
Doctors are also allowed to invoke their freedom of conscience to refuse an abortion, even in cases where it is legal. A doctor can deny a woman access to an abortion if he or she believes it is contrary to her health interests. An article of the Abortion Act that states that “abortion may not be performed on foreign women who are only temporarily present in the Czech Republic” has caused particular controversy. “While welcoming the State party`s National Plan of Action for the Prevention of Accidents involving Children for the period 2007-2017, the Committee notes with concern the high rates of teenage pregnancies and abortions, as well as the high rates of suicide, which are the second leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds. Furthermore, while welcoming the legal prohibition on the sale of tobacco and alcoholic products to persons under 18 years of age, the Committee is concerned that there is no regular systematic review of the effective implementation of this prohibition and the effective implementation of this prohibition, resulting in a sustained increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption among children. Covid-related travel restrictions and the rapid closure of borders across Europe have also posed additional challenges to the collective`s efforts in the first year of its existence, as well as to Polish women seeking access to abortion in the Czech Republic and other countries. Abortion Act in the Czech Republic| Termination of pregnancy is legal in the Czech Republic for any reason, provided that the pregnant woman makes a written request before the 12th week of pregnancy. It is also legal (with a doctor`s recommendation) until the 24th week of pregnancy if genetic tests show a high probability that the child has a severe disability. An abortion can be performed at any time during pregnancy if serious problems with the fetus are detected.
Women are required to pay for abortion upon request. With a few exceptions, women who are temporarily in the Czech Republic pay for abortion services. “I really don`t know how to comment, I think it`s either a joke or cynicism. People want a free abortion, or at least not tighten the right to abortion,” Nowaczyk said. Our collective does not support this compromise. We cannot even call it a compromise. “Sadness, great sadness, disappointment. and anger”: this is how a Polish artist living in the Czech capital, Jolanta Nowaczyk, felt when she learned last month of the anti-abortion court ruling in her home country. Comments on the phone: +420 266 083 239, +420 266 083 240, +420 737 289 500Any citizen of the European Union can legally cancel an artificial abortion in the Czech Republic, even if she would intentionally come for this purpose and spend a few days here. “We financially supported 26 abortions, which equates to CZK 230,000,” says Nowaczyk.
The group also raised funds in the first year through a successful t-shirt sales campaign. In 2015, among women who had induced an abortion: – 34% had had at least 1 induced abortion before – 72% had at least 1 child Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the dispute should be resolved through dialogue and not through mass rallies in the streets, while the country`s president, Andrzej Duda, presented a “compromise” bill that would allow abortions in case of fatal malformations of the fetus. but not in cases of Down syndrome. In 2019, 1,100 legal abortions were performed in Poland, of which 1,074 were due to serious fetal health problems. However, Nowaczyk suggests that there are many more abortions by Polish women than what is reported in official statistics. Polish women “do it illegally in Poland – there are of course ways to do it, but I can`t say it is always safe”. Or they do it abroad, “usually in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Slovakia,” she said. In 2010 [Update], the abortion rate was 10.7 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. [4] The respect, protection and realization of human rights require governments to ensure that abortion services authorized by law are accessible in practice.
Guidelines for safe abortion, § 4.2.2.5. “The support of the Czechs has been particularly overwhelming, while it seems that Poles may have been exhausted by the debates and activities surrounding the abortion ban. The facilities and skills required to manage most abortion complications are similar to those required to care for women who have had a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage). Guidelines for safe abortions § 2.2.6. The recommended method for medical abortion is mifepristone, followed by misoprostol (the diet differs depending on gestational age). Guidelines on Safe Abortion, Summary, Box 2 – Recommendation. Prague-based Polish artist Jolanta Nowaczyk and like-minded activists founded the Ciocia Czesia (Aunt Czesia) initiative to help women in need of an abortion come to the Czech Republic for the procedure. The initiative celebrates its year of existence this week with a fundraiser in Prague. In Slovakia, up to a third of all hospitals and medical facilities refuse to offer legal abortions at the instigation of representatives of local citizens` initiatives and Christian churches, according to a recent study.
